jpnn.com, CHILE - Chile's presidential candidate Gabriel Boric, a left-wing figure and one of the top candidates in pre-election polls, said on Wednesday that he had tested positive for Covid-19 and would self-isolate.
The self-isolation measure comes less than three weeks before the vote in the Andean nation.
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In a post on Twitter, Boric (35), a former centre-left student leader, said he had just received a positive test result.
He asked people who had come into contact with him to follow pandemic protocols.
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The leader of the left-wing coalition, Frente Amplio, had been in preventive isolation earlier this week when he posted information that he was suffering from a fever.
Boric's condition poses a challenge for his team ahead of the vote on November 21.
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Boric is just behind the ultra-conservative candidate Jose Antonio Kast in election polls.
Many surveys suggest the left wing is likely to win the second round in December.
Chile's presidential election, the first since widespread protests in 2019 that rocked the world's top copper producer, is a watershed event for the country.
Chile has long been seen as a safe port for investors, miners, and businesses in South America.
Boric's press team said the candidate had received two doses of the vaccine against the virus and had planned to receive a booster shot.
"Let's take care of ourselves and ensure no one goes without their vaccine," Boric said on Twitter.
"We will connect to talk about the changes that we will promote together, and once the protocols are met I will be with you again on the streets. My hugs to all our volunteers who today more than ever lead our campaign." (ant/dil/mcr20/jpnn)
This news has been broadcast on JPNN.com with the title: 3 Minggu Jelang Pilpres, Kandidat Favorit Positif COVID-19